Method of extracting moisture from air.



J. GAYLEY.

METHOD or BxTnAoTING noIsTUnE PROM m.

APPLIUATION FILED DBU.6, 1904.

Patented Sept. 13,1910.

8 BHEBTB-BHBHT 1.

WITNFSSB J. GAYLEY.

METHOD 0F EXTRAOTING MOISTURE FROM AIB.

` APPLIOATION FILED mm. e. 1904.

Patented Sept. 13, 1910.

J. GAYLBY. METHOD 0F BXTBAOTING MOISTURE FROM AIB.

APPLICATION FILED DBO.6, 1904.

'Patented Sept. 13,1910.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

INVENTOR 4bers are cut out and are being thawed to moisture on the pi es.

and useful Method of Extractin JAMES GAYLEY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

METHOD 0F EXTRACTING MOISTURE FROM AIR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 13, 1910.

Application led December 6, 1904. Serial No. 285,764.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES GAYLEY, of New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, haveV invented a new Moisture from Air for Use in the Arts, o which the following is a full, clear, and exact descrip# tion, reference being had to the accompanying digawings, forming part of this specilication, in which Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal section of refrigerating chambers suitable for practicing my invention; Fig. 2 is a vertical cross-section on the line II-II of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a plan of thechamber roof, and Fig. 4 is a side elevation showing the ar ran ement of the refrigerating apparatus,

the lowing engine, and the furnace or placeof use. f

My invention relates to the method of drawing air for use in blast furnaces, converters, etc., by refrigeration; and is designed to provide anim roved method therefor in which certain di culties with the formation of frost or snow on the refrigerating pipes are lessened and the method made ymore eiicient and practicable.

In carrying out my invention, I provide a series ofv separate refri erating compartments or sections having t eir refrigerating pipes, and use a majority. of these chambers for freezin out the moisture and reducing, it to a smal and substantially uniform percent-age, while the smaller number of chamremove the insulating blanket of congealed I also referably direct the air u war ly through t e sections and transversely to the ipe, so that the moisture will fall backwardly by gravity and not be carried on to deposit on the pipes A further feature of my invention lies in combining the use of several sections, any of which may be cut out for thawing, with the drawin of air by the blowin en 'ne from the refrigerating apparatus, t is b ow'- ing engine being located between the refrigerating apparatus and the point of use. I also referably use a congealable liquid for thawing the moisture otl" from the 1pipes in the sections, and also provide antec ambers for giving access to the pipes.

In .the drawin 2 represents a refrigerating room or c amber, the bottom portion of which forms one common complete chamber.' The remainder of the room is divided into sections or compartments by means of partitions 4. Each compartment is connected with the dried air outlet pipe 5, by means of a pipe 6, cont-rolled by a valve 7 of any suitable construction. The air enters the bottom common chamber through an inlet pipe 8, and is distributed in tic common bottom chamber, fans 11 being used for increasing this distribution, if desired.

Each compartment or section is provided with a coil or coils of pipe 9, through which a refrigerating liquid is adapted to be 1passed,

and the several sections are preferab y connected with each other by doors 10, at the sides, leading through the partitions 4 beyond the pipe coils, which only lill the central portion of the compartment.

As shown in Fig. 4, the outlet pipe 5 leads to a blowing engine 12, by which the air is drawn from the refrigerating apparatus and forced to the blast furnace 13, or other point of use.

When all of the sections or compartments are in operation, theair entering through the inlet pipe 8 is distributed in the common bottom chamber and then rises 'through thc separate compartments, where it is refrigerated and its moisture deposited, and is thence drawn through the pipes and the pipe 5 to the blowing engine 12. It arrives at the blowing engine with a small and substantially uniform moisture content, on account of the low temperature (preferably zero degrees C.) to which it is reduced, and is forced by the blowing engine to the fui*- nace or by the blowinor engine.

When it is desired to thaw the frost, snow, or ice from the coils in any one of the conipartments, the doors 10 of that compartment and the valves 7 therefor are closed, and the insulating blanket of congealed moisture is thawed ol" by passing liquid through the coil or in any other desirable way. The refrigerant is then re-introduced into the coil and when sufiicient time has elapsed to iefrigerate and dry the air within the cham-l ber, the valve and doors are vagain opened.

While I have described my invention as applied to the refrigeration and drying of air, it may also be applied to the drying of producer gas or other gases.

The advantages of m invention result from the drawing of air by the blowing engine from a series of compartments, the majority of which are used for drying air,

point of use under pressure imparted while a smaller number are being thawed oft'. The locating of the blowing engine be? tween the' refri erating chamber and the point of use glves better uniformity of weight andv moist-ure at the engine which measures .the air in connection with the use of the several compartments. The proper distribution of the air is aided by the common chamber communicating with the separated compartments. The passage of the air current transversely of the pipes gives eiicient cooling action, while its upward direction causes gravity `to act upon the moisture carrying it back .onto the less cold portions ofthe pipe, instead of forward into the colder portions, where it is congealed.

Many changes may be made in the form and arrangement of the apparatus without departing from my invention.

I claim: y l. rlhe method of supplying air or other gases, in which the moisture is reduced to'm' small and practically uniform percentage,

consisting in providing a series of more than' two rcfrigerating compartments, -passin air or gases through the majority ofsai compartments,v refrigerating it. therein and feeding it directly therefrom to 'the dried Iair outlet, thawing the previously deposited fr ost or congealed moisture from the refrigerating conduits in a smaller number of chambers, while preventing the flow of air from these chambers to the dried air outlet, drawing the air from the refrigerating com partments to the blowing engine and thence forcing it to the oint of use under pressure, substantially as escribed. /f'

2. The method of supplying air or other gases, in which the moistu e is reduced to a Ismall and practically u/iorm percentage, consisting in passing/th/e air or gases over the major amount ot'i'efrigcrating surface arranged in separated compartments, causing said air or gases to pass transversely to the pipes in sai compartments, refrigerating it therein and feeding itdireetly therefrom to the dried air outlet, depositing the moisture as frost on the refrigerating conduits, and thawing the previously deposited frost from the minor amount of refrigerating surface in other chambers while preventing the l'low of air directly from these chambers to the dried air outlet, drawing the air from the refrigerating chambers to a blowing engine, and forcing said air from the blowing engine under pressure to the point oi use, substantially as described.

3. The method o'l' drying air-by refrigeration, consisting in feeding the air upwardly through a serles o' refrigerating compartments, drawing the air from said compartments to a blowing engine, and forcing it to the pointvof use, and thawing the minorl "number of refrlgeratmg compartments as desired while the major number are refrigerating the air, substantially as described.

4. The method of drying air by refrigeration, consisting inintroducing the air into a bottom chamber common to several upper compartments containing refrigerating conduits, thence ifeeding the air upwardly through said compartments and depositing the moisture as frost, drawing the air from said compartments to a blowing engine and forcing it from the blowing engine under pressure to the point of use, substantially as described.l

In Itestimony whereof, I have hereunto setv my hand. I v l y JAMES GAYLEY.

Witnesses: l

il'. lV. ALLEN, W'. S. Rani). 

